Trump says US is ready to do post-Brexit trade deal – live – Kevin Rawlinson (now) and Andrew Sparrow (earlier) - John Jason Fallows

Trump says US is ready to do post-Brexit trade deal – live – Kevin Rawlinson (now) and Andrew Sparrow (earlier) –

Trump says US is ready to do post-Brexit trade deal – live –

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the first day of President Trump’s state visit to the UK

7.23pm BST

Trump claimed he has not seen any protests. About 100 demonstrators are outside the gates of Buckingham Palace as his helicopter lands. They are protesting against the US president being handed “the red-carpet treatment”.

Waving banners emblazoned with messages declaring the president was “evil”, scores of protesters blowing whistles and horns massed on a green outside the palace.

It will be cucumber sandwiches over champagne. It doesn’t matter how boorish he is or what ridiculous things he says, I think very few people will challenge him. That’s not to our credit.

Sometimes you have to say to a bully they’re wrong and stand up for basic rights.

He’s a business man, he’s not a politician. He doesn’t know how to talk to people. If it doesn’t suit him, he calls it fake news.

I think it’s important that ordinary people from the UK life myself show we don’t want him here.

7.10pm BST

The US is ready to do a trade deal once the UK “gets rid of the shackles”, the nation’s president, Donald Trump, says.

London part of trip is going really well. The Queen and the entire Royal family have been fantastic. The relationship with the United Kingdom is very strong. Tremendous crowds of well wishers and people that love our Country. Haven’t seen any protests yet, but I’m sure the….

….Fake News will be working hard to find them. Great love all around. Also, big Trade Deal is possible once U.K. gets rid of the shackles. Already starting to talk!

Behind the pomp is a simple truth about trade. Mr Trump is doing what he can to destroy the international rules-based order on which the government’s “Global Britain” strategy is based. His administration is systematically undermining the World Trade Organization, in which Brexiters have such touchingly naive faith. And he is destroying the multilateral agreements in which UK governments have invested so much political capital: the climate change agreement; the nuclear proliferation deal with Iran; the UN Arms Trade Treaty — all are being shredded by the Trump administration.

The hoped-for bilateral trade deal between Britain and the US looks less appetising by the day. Mr Trump’s crude mercantilism — based on bilateral trade balances — will not suit a country such as the UK with a trade surplus. The US is clear that it wants lower food standards to please its agricultural exporters. It wants to bypass British courts to settle disputes. And it would like preferential access to public service procurements, including the NHS. Even if the government dodges these negotiating icebergs, the draft agreement would have to pass the US Congress, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lies in wait prepared to reject any deal if the UK ditches Northern Ireland’s Good Friday Agreement in pursuit of Brexit.

Continue reading… – June 3, 2019 at 02:45PM

The post Trump says US is ready to do post-Brexit trade deal – live – Kevin Rawlinson (now) and Andrew Sparrow (earlier) appeared first on John Jason Fallows.

– June 3, 2019 at 02:53PM